Apparatus for applying color coatings to sheet material



Nov. 23, 1954 T. LEWIN ET AL APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COLOR COATINGS TO SHEET MATERIAL INVENTORS, TOE/A5 LEW/N AND PAUL STRATTON,

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COLOR COATINGS TO SHEET MATERIAL Tobias Lew/in, University City, and Paul L. Stratton, St. Louis, Nf0., assignors to Tobey Color Card Company, St. Louis, Mm, a corporation of Missouri Application January 5, 1953, Serial No. 329,602 3 Claims. (Cl. 118-412) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for applying color coatings to sheet material, and more particularly to improvements which permits of the application and precise regulation of a plurality of coatings of different color or hue, and whereby such contrasting coatings may be formed simultaneously in contiguous relationship on a single piece of sheet material.

One of the major and more important objectives of the present invention is realized through the inclusion of a novel multi-colored liquid applicating and regulating device which is particularly adapted for film applications of liquids such as paints and lacquers, in the production of color cards, charts and various forms of ad vertising material, although not limited specifically thereto.

The present invention embraces a color coating process wherein liquid pigment deposited on web stock is caused to be spread and leveled by moving the web beneath a knife or doctor blade. The improvements hereof include provisions for partitioning areas of the moving web which are to be differently coated in advance of passage of said areas beneath the blade, while applying different liquids to the respective partitioned areas. By our improved process the pigment from adjacent areas meet without merging, below or slightly beyond the blade, in the formation of junction line which is straight, regular and well defined.

An obiective is realized by the coaction of the partitions and blade element in simultaneously spreading aplurality of smooth uniform films in adiacent, precisely defined straight edge abutting relation, without overlapping or over-running of the adjacent colors, regardless of the tone, range or hue of the particu ar color combination used. The wall members and blade element are constructed and associated in such manner as to permit a flow of liouid, from adjacent reservoirs formed by partitioning walls. around the end portion of the walls and under the lade to form stripes which have distinct contiguous film margins.

Processes heretofore in general use are not suitable for producing, simultaneously, laterally contiguous stripes of differently colored paint or other liquid substance. Heretofore this result was obtainable only in successive stages, that is, by applying one coat of paint and allowing it to dry before applying the second laterally adjacent coat.

One important use for the apparatus of our invention is the production of color charts which are distributed by manufacturers of paints and lacquers, and employed by users to aid in the selection of colors. Many manufacturers of paint advocate the mixing of their product with specified quantities of white pigment, in order to yield tints or hues of varying depth of color. Charts illustrating the effects produced by adding. specified quantities of white pigment to a given color are referred to as color let down charts. In these it is especially desirable to present the various tints or hues in precise contiguity. for separation of the coated areas detracts from the effectiveness of the color gradient. Thus, an important practical object of the present invention resides in improving color charts and simplifying their production.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,

in which:

'portion 28 being permitted to F1g. l is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in F1g. 1;

F g. 3 1s a cross-sectional view as taken along line 3-3 of'Flg. l, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view, the structure shown in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing 10 designates generally partitioning means, later to be fully described, which means coact with the blade 14 of a coating machine referred to at 11. The illustrated the simultaneous application of'a plurality of liquid pigments on a sheet or web'12 of paper incident to the manufacture of color cards, charts and other forms of color display.

A table 13 provides an upper work surface which supports the blade 14, and the partitioning means 11'. A rotatable 1dler roller 15 located adjacent one end of the table facilitates movement of the paper web from a supply roll to and along the top of the table.

It is a preference that the driven or supply roller 17 provide a continuous web of paper 12, and be located sub acent to the work table 13 and idler roller 15. The paper sheet is disposed over the work surface and end roller, and connected to a driving roller 18 located at the opposite end of the table, the idler roller 15 serving to maintain a desirable degree of tension on that portlon of the paper 12 overlying the table, yet providmg complete ease of operation. The driving roller 18 moves the continuous paper sheet 12' over the table 13, and thence under the blade 14 at a regulated rate of speed, Wllliillg the finished striped product into a convenient ro It is advantageous that the applied color be rapidly dried immediately after passage beneath the blade 14, and for this purpose a drying apparatus indicated at 20 is provided. As shown in Fig. 1, such means include a plurality of regularly spaced heat or infra-red ray lamps 21 arranged in a systematic pattern over that portion of the coated paper that has passed beyond the blade 22.

The adjustable blade 14 extends transversely over the medial portion of the work table 13, the lower end or operative spreading portion of the blade providing a shoulder 23 that slopes to form an edged margin 24 with the right hand planar face, as viewed in Fig. 3. Two pair. of right angular brackets 25 slidably position the blade member 14' for vertical adjustment, each pair of brackets being disposed in spaced back-to-back relation, and secured to opposite lateral table end portions, as by rivets or bolts 26. The blade 14 is located and slidably carried between the brackets 25, with the vertical bracket plates 27 contiguous with and slidably engaging the vertically opposed planar faces of the blade, the blade end extend beyond the table partly in section, of

margins, as best shown in Fig. 2.

Blade adjusting means 29 for varying the thickness of the resulting film are located at the opposite ends of the blade. Each such means includes a swingable lever arm 30 (Fig. l) which is pivotally connected at one end to the side marginal surface of the work table, with the upper face thereof normally abutting the blade end portion 23 that extends beyond the table edge. A fixed rm member 31 is secured to the underside of the table, and located to project beyond the table edge and normally underlie the free swingable lever end. The arm member 31' threadedly receives a wing. screw 33 whose end part engages and actuates the lever 30 for vertical adjustment of the blade 14 disposed thereon. A similar structural arrangement 25 is located on. the opposite side of the table 13, the two adjustingv mechanisms serving to raise or lower the blade 22 vertically with respect to the work surface for highly accurate film thickness determination.

Proceeding now with a description. of our improvements which adapts the described knife-coating apparatus for the application of coatings of different colors, in the production of contiguous color stripes on the moving web, there is provided on the table 13, immediately forwardly of the blade 14, a color partitioning assembly which has heretofore been referred to. This assembly includes a plurality of vertical wall members 34 arranged in predetermined spaced relation, the distances therebetween conforming to the width of each individual color stripe to be formed. Each partition 34 provides a relatively thin elongate planar body, of substantially rectangular cross-section as shown in Fig. 4, located in right angular relation with the blade 14, and having one end thereof abutting the forward face of the blade. The lower wall margin is provided with an exceedingly smooth, preferably machined and polished surface 35 (Figs. 1 and 3), which contacts the paper sheet 12 to provide separate reservoirs for the different liquid pigments, without scoring or otherwise disfiguring the paper as it is moved thereunder. The forward lower corner 36 of each dividing wall is preferably rounded to avoid any snagging of the paper carried beneath the wall.

Shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 is a series of feeding tubes 37 which deliver and control the flow of each differently colored liquid to its respective reservoir, incident to being applied by the blade and wall members. Other means for supplying the liquid pigment may be employed.

Separating and maintaining the partitioning walls 34 in correct right angular alignment, are a plurality of intervening spacing blocks 38 carried therebetween. Each block 38 provides end surfaces that engage the upper inner end region of the dividing wall 34. The length of the block members 38 determines the width of the stripe formed. An end spacing block 39 carried by each of the outermost partitioning walls serves to position the partitioning assembly on the table 13, and with respect to the side margins of the paper, and hence prevents any lateral shifting or displacement by abutting the vertical plate portions 27 of opposed right hand brackets 26, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

An elongated C clamp arrangement, indicated at 40 (Figs. 2 and 4) secures the partition elements 34 and the spacer block together to form thereof a unitary assembly. The clamp 40 includes a relatively slender elongate bridge portion 41, of substantially rectangular crosssection, which overlies the spacing blocks 38 and partitioning walls 34. Integral end plates 42 are dependingly carried by the bridge portion 41, and engage the end block member 39, hence holding the blocks and intervening partitions in assembly. The clamp 40 is adapted for minute adjustments by the inclusion of a screw-actuated locking means, which provides winged screw elements 43 threadedly received by the conforming medially apertured end plates 42, the threaded shank clampingly engaging the outer block member 39 upon actuation of the screws, locking the dividing walls 34, spacing blocks 38, and overlying clamp 40.

The operation of the apparatus is believed to have become apparent from the foregoing description, but for completeness and further clarity, it should be particularly noted that the novel multi-colored liquid applicating device rests on the paper web without positive securement to the Work table 13, and hence may be lifted and removed as a unit incident to cleaning or adjustment. The unit 10 is held against displacement on the table by its abutting relationship with the blade 14, and laterally by the right angled brackets 25. The frictional drag of the moving paper sheet 12 slidably engaging the partitioning walls 34, tends to urge the unit 10 flush against the blade 14 under operable conditions.

With a roll of sheet paper 12 arranged in position over the work table 13, the blade 14 is placed between the right angled brackets 25 and carefully adjusted to the desired height, by means of the screw and lever mechanisms 29 carried on each side of the table, thus determining the film thickness. The partioning means 10 is then assembled, separating the partitioning walls 34 by inserting the proper sized spacing blocks 38 and 39 therebetween, the lengths of the blocks being dependent upon the width of each individual stripe. After the C clamp 40 is located about the blocks and partitions, and tightly secured thereto upon actuation of the end clamp screws 43, the unit 10 may be placed on the table between the end brackets 25 flush with the blade face.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that in carrying out the process of our invention, the surface of the paper immediately forwardly of the doctor blade 14 is partitioned by means of relatively thin blades that extend parallel with the direction of paper travel. The partitioning blades 34 rest upon the paper with suflicient pressure at their lower bearing surfaces, created by the added weight of the spacer blocks and clamp member, effectively to prevent seepage beneath the partitions from one so-called color reservoir to another.

The paper web is caused to travel at a slow rate, of the order of five feet per minute. As the paper travels forwardly under the doctor blade the film which has formed thereon, because of its thinness, the natural viscosity of the fluid, and the drying effect of the applied heat, has little tendency to spread. The film does spread however, to an extent sufficient to cover the narrow area previously occupied by the partition blades, but there is no tendency, when ordinary paints and lacquers are used, for the coatings to overlap or merge.

Although the improvements have been described by making particularized reference to a single preferred embodiment, the detail of description is not to be understood as restrictive, numerous variants being possible within the principles disclosed and with the fair scope of the claims hereunto appended.

We claim as our invention:

1. Sheet coating apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a table, a coating blade extending across and spaced above the table, means for moving a sheet forwardly along the table surface, under said blade, partitioning means comprising a plurality of thin partition elements, spacer blocks between said elements and means securing said partition elements and blocks together to form a unitary assembly, said partitioning elements having their respective lower and forward edge surfaces disposed in precise alignment for mutual contact respectively with the upper surface of the sheet and the rear surface of said blade.

2. Blade coating apparatus of the character described including a table and a blade normally overlying the table in adjustable spaced relation, a plurality of partitioning walls disposed in edgewise contact with the rear surface of the blade, a plurality of spacing members carried between the walls, said walls and said blade forming separate compartments for coating liquids, a clamping element embracing the Walls and spacing members, and a threaded member carried by the clamping element selectively engaging and rigidly securing the walls and spacing members as a unit.

3. In a blade coating apparatus of the character described including a table, means for advancing a sheet along the top of the table, a blade extending across the table, means for adjustably supporting said blade over the sheet, means providing abutments at the rear side and near the opposite ends of said blade, and means partitioning the space immediately behind said blade, said means comprising a plurality of thin partitioning elements arranged in spaced relation parallel with the direction of sheet movement, the lower edge surfaces of said elements resting on the sheet and the forward edge surfaces of said elements abutting the rear surface of said blade and being urged against said blade solely by the action of the sheet movement thereon; spacer blocks disposed between said blades and spaced above the sheet, and a clamp securing the said partitioning elements and blocks together to form thereof a unitary assembly, the said assembly engaging said abutments and being thereby held against lateral displacement on said sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,857,242 Edmondson May 10, 1932 2,092,974 Hiers Sept. 14, 1937 2,421,073 Kratz May 27, 1947 2,526,991 Biddle Oct. 24, 1950 

